Categories: Machinery Diagnostics,Machinery Maintenance,Other Topics

A Vector Approach to Single Plane Balancing

Unbalance (Imbalance) is often defined as the unequal distribution of the weight of a rotor about its rotating centerline. A rotor can be balanced either in-place or in a balancing machine assuming unbalance is the issue and weight can be added or removed. Modern balancing instruments will do the math for you. I originally learned by plotting on polar graph paper with an analyzer with a strobe light phase input.

About the Author

Mike Keohane has been involved in machinery reliability since 1985. He started as a field service engineer for IRD Mechanalysis. Prior to that he was a wireline logger for Schlumberger Well Services. He joined VibrAlign in 1992 and supports clients in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. In addition to precision alignment, he has field experience in vibration analysis, field and shop balancing, oil analysis and ultrasonics. Mike holds a BSME from Michigan State University. Mike and his wife and two children currently live in Peachtree City, GA.